TMAC Strengthens South Texas Manufacturers

Hector Ramirez highlights technical support, local talent and cross-border collaboration as drivers of industrial competitiveness.

PHARR, Texas — South Texas’ manufacturing growth depends on the ability of its businesses to improve, adapt and compete. For Hector Ramirez, manufacturing specialist with the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center at UTRGV, that means giving manufacturers practical support in their operations while building stronger connections among industry, education and economic development organizations.

Ramirez shared that perspective with Pro Texas Industry during an interview at the Pharr EDC Roundtable. He described a region that has made progress in supporting manufacturers and must keep strengthening the communication behind that work.

“That communication and that ecosystem needs to continue to evolve and get better,” Ramirez said.

TMAC’s contribution begins with understanding what businesses actually need. Ramirez said the program provides training and consulting in process engineering, operational excellence and product engineering, alongside support in business and financial skills. Those services address challenges faced by companies of different sizes, from smaller enterprises to larger manufacturers.

The approach connects technical improvement with business performance. A manufacturer preparing to grow needs effective production processes, but also the management knowledge to make sound decisions and sustain that growth.

Ramirez described his team’s regional reach as approximately 50 to 60 companies served annually, with roughly 180 to 250 professionals trained each year. Participants include employees, team leaders, administrative personnel and business owners, he said.

His confidence in the region begins with its people. While South Texas must continue developing its skilled workforce, Ramirez said companies have much to gain from the talent already here.

“We have a lot of talent, a lot of talent in South Texas,” he said. “Companies are going to find out how talented our folks are.”

He also identified geography and logistics as advantages, particularly when businesses on both sides of the border recognize how their capabilities can complement one another. That cooperation can help the wider region compete internationally.

“Instead of trying to find how to beat others, I think that this general area is trying to find how to collaborate,” Ramirez said.

For South Texas manufacturers, his message is practical: regional opportunity becomes more valuable when companies have the knowledge, skills and relationships to act on it. By supporting stronger operations and closer Texas–Mexico cooperation, TMAC can help existing businesses participate more fully in the region’s industrial growth.